Soul Photo Net -- Photoblog / Weblog

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama’s Full Speech to the DNC

This was the first time in my life that I felt “connected” to the government...I became proud to be an American when I heard this speech given by Barack Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. I now believe in the Pledge Of Allegiance”...for liberty and justice for all”. Y-E-S, we can win and we will change this world policies for the better for every man, woman and child. When you are reluctant to change...Think of the beauty of autumn. Get it? Change is Beautiful...Change is Powerful...Change is of Greatness!!!...Let’s not be afraid of change. Let’s welcome it with an open heart, open mind and open arms.

I hope you will enjoy and appreciate this speech as I have.

Hi Stephen, I know it’s been a very long time since I have submitted an article-I just couldn’t resist sharing this piece of history.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Favorite Quote

I’ve heard some great speeches this week at the Democratic Convention but this is a great line by Bill Clinton.
“...people have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power.”

Friday, August 15, 2008

Reflecting

I’ve been dealing with a lot recently and my outlet for stress is poetry. I sometimes keep things bottled inside but on some occasions it helps me to put pen to paper to put things in perspective.

Reflecting

Here I sit reflecting
Reflecting in my cube of solitude
Looking at my world and life around me
Things that affect me

Reflecting on my feelings, my hopes and my dreams
Reflecting on my past and my present
Trying to find out what it all means

Contemplating life without you
Contemplating life with you
Are they both interchangeable
Can I have my cake and eat it too?

Reflection is bringing about my perspective
Is it too late to start anew?
Do I look upon the boldly rising sun or squint into it not quite sure if I’m worthy
Worthy to work my way back to the being I once was
The being who was able to move mountains, cross valleys, and overcome any adversity

Or do I just continue to sit here in my cube of solitude and continue to just be.

I think my reflecting has come to an end and I know what the end shall be.
To reflect no more and to stand strong and firm and end this cube of solitude and embrace the path I’ve chosen to deflect all past wrongs before and smile boldly
Walk right through the door because my reflection is all done.

It accuses France of training Hutu militias responsible for the slaughter, helping plan the genocide, and participating in the killings.

“French forces directly assassinated Tutsis and Hutus accused of hiding Tutsis… French forces committed several rapes on Tutsi survivors,” said a statement from the justice ministry cited by AFP news agency.

“Considering the seriousness of the alleged crimes, the Rwandan government has urged the relevant authorities to bring the accused French politicians and military officials to justice,” the statement said.

It further alleged that French forces did nothing to challenge checkpoints used by Hutu forces in the genocide.

“They clearly requested that the Interahamwes contine to man those checkpoints and kill Tutsis attempting to flee,” it said.

The BBC’s Geoffrey Mutagoma in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, says the commission spent nearly two years investigating France’s alleged role in the genocide.

It heard testimonies from genocide survivors, researchers, writers and reporters.

The 500-page document was presented to the Rwanda’s government last November, but was not made public until now.

Rwanda has repeatedly accused France of arming and training the Hutu militias that perpetrated the genocide, and of dragging its feet in co-operating with the investigations that followed.

France has maintained that its forces helped protect civilians during a UN-sanctioned mission in Rwanda at the time.

The two countries have had a frosty relationship since 2006 when a French judge implicated Rwandan President Paul Kagame in the downing in 1994 of then-President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane - an event widely seen as triggering the killings.

President Kagame has always denied the charge.

He says Mr Habyarimana, a Hutu, was killed by Hutu extremists who then blamed the incident on Tutsi rebels to provide the pretext for the genocide.